Yvonne magnificently ignores our emotional blackmail by getting up to do the dishes. As I follow her with my eyes, I feel the hand on my thigh slide inside my shirt and the strap around my chest to grab my breast.
“Uuh.” I exhale from surprise and the cool sensation of her skin.
“You can't be Elizabeth Vil anymore, my jay.” She whispers.
I tense, expecting her to use her nails in a painful way or grip my flesh, but she does neither. It takes me a moment to realize that, while I am shivering, her fingers are trembling from worry, or... or fear.
“There is no war to, barely, cover up your crimes.” She explains.
“I'm aware.” I reply, trying not to sound impatient but failing.
“The best sword-master and flow-master can still easily fall if isolated. If you get yourself hurt because you risk your life for others, I will not forgive you.” She utters in a shaky tone of voice. “Don't undervalue yourself.”
“You're one to speak, Leomi Lance.” I dismiss, reaching up to take her cheek in my palm. “You underestimate yourself constantly. You're too careful with your moves while also placing your life on the line for the countless people who hope for change. It means our enemies don't fear you as much as they should, which is dangerous.”
“Don't change the subject.” Leomi replies with a hard voice.
“I am not.” I tell her with a smile. She frowns and leans into my hand. “Our opponents must fear someone by your side or they will keep trying to put you down with their maneuvers without thinking of our retaliation. For now, it is Elizabeth Vil but that will fade sooner rather than later.”
“But...” She starts.
“I will not be a consort, Leomi Lance.” I utter firmly. “I understand you wish to share your power with me, and appreciate it, but I will never stand to be under anyone.”
“Oh, you will.” Leomi whispers. I can't help but blush because she's right but it also wasn't what I meant so I reach out and pinch her ear. “I want to lock you up to keep you safe.” She whines with a painful voice.
“None of us will be safe as long as they believe that it is possible to end us with a metaphorical knife in your back when you grow too dangerous.” I gently tell her. “You want to bait and ambush Cenwalh? He needs to think that he must use enough force to end us in one stroke. For that to happen, he must also fear that killing you alone will only allow someone just as dangerous to pick up the torch.”
“I understand this, Cenwalh is already trying to bind Edusa to himself.” Leomi says. “There is no need to risk you.”
I don't respond because it is unnecessary, she understood all this before we even began speaking. The reason she tried to convince me to stay put anyway is that the news about the Thrin was unexpected and made the conflict imminent.
Leomi clutches at my belly while stroking my breast. My breaths grow heavy as her chilly skin gently brushes against my soft flesh. I hear Yvonne return so I push my red face against Lance's chest to hide it.
“Did you hear anything from the east, Yvonne?” Leomi suddenly asks, making me tense.
“The first few skirmishes have gone well for us.” Yvonne replies carefully. “But the Phalanxes and the Rykz haven't truly clashed yet so it doesn't mean anything, not enough for the news to be celebrated or spread.”
“Any idea of the numbers involved?” Leomi questions.
“Overall, four hundred thousand soldiers have been deployed with a quarter or a third composed of Phalanx heavy infantry.” Yvonne reports. “But those are old numbers, five or more Phalanxes should have arrived on the front-lines by now so you can safely add fifty thousand more heavy infantry to that number.”
“What about the Order?” I ask.
“Unknown, they are too spread out and mobile to determine with any degree of certainty.” Yvonne tells me. “Their main force should be stationed between Haitia and Steso so as to respond to Lisilese incursions in spring while remaining close enough to reinforce their units on the Rykz front but they could also have split to move closer to Fringia and Telnur.”
“What about the south?” Leomi asks.
“All I've heard is that Telnur and Haitia are mobilizing in full for a harsh war, which isn't necessarily good. Not only are there still no plans to hold the spring defensive lines, to use our advantage in stamina for a fighting retreat like we have always done against the Lisilese, but Steso is also worried which means scouts may have brought back information that the Lisilese are mobilizing too far north from the Azure Hive for their target to be the Rykz.” Yvonne explains, giving so many details I can't help but suspect that most are for my benefit.
“They mean to paint the contested lowlands of Trident Hill Red, Brown, and Blue again?” Leomi asks with a groan. “The Rykz must have warned them of the Phalanxes' mobilization on their front or they wouldn't threaten the north-east with this kind of timing. The cold bloods always seek out the bloodiest battles.”
“It's mere speculation at this point.” The sword-sworn says soothingly. “News don't easily reach Caeviel.”
A chill goes through my back as I realize the scale involved and that I've somehow forgotten the danger that the Rykz pose to the Empire in my friendship with the Silver Hive.
The worst is that, no matter how much I love Celyz and how much she loves me, we are both powerless to stop the war. Not to mention I could never ask my oak to restrain her revenge for what happened to Cetyz.
“This is good news for Hetlan, at least.” Leomi speaks up, quite suddenly and subtly changing the subject. “Edusa will be able to deflect Cenwalh's requests by saying the war requires the Duchy's iron more urgently than he does, the Empire's administration and the Order will support her. She should be able to trade her ore for plenty of food from Mirus without needing to refine it.”
Yvonne hums softly in agreement and the conversation simply withers from there. Leomi keeps caressing my breast, relaxing me a little. I slide my hand inside her shirt and cup her left breast.
“Do you mind going to the village to bring the horses back?” I ask my friend without turning to her. “I can't keep her here any longer.”
“It's okay, my jay.” Lance intervenes. “I didn't mean to pressure you.”
“I can't stay either.” I tell her with a sigh because I didn't want this to come to an end even though I'm eager to set things into motion. “Jessica Freepath needs to make herself known to the world.”
“Not just Freepath?” Yvonne questions with a concerned voice.
“I need at least a Countess' access and Elizabeth Vil is clearly too controversial for the Izla to rely on.” I explain. “Besides, an anonymous Freepath isn't good enough for the Grand Commander of the Hospitaliers.” I add with a slightly mocking tone.
“Yvonne will accompany you.” Leomi says.
“No.” I deny. “She'll remain by your side to protect you by making sure you won't try to imprison me with flimsy excuses.”
“Don't I get a say?” Yvonne asks tersely.
“I couldn't use my position like that!” Lance protests, ignoring her.
“But you could do so if the Council allowed it.” I agree, chuckling.
“It wouldn't be a flimsy excuse then.” Leomi notes, flicking my nipple without warning.
“Umh.” I moan while hoping Yvonne already made it far enough outside she won't hear it.
I reach out to hers with my thumb and gently rubbing it, causing her hand to pause on my breast. I hear the sword-sworn get up and slip away from the house. She'll take my virginity soon and make me a woman, Liz, this one is mine. Of course, sister, I can't wait to enjoy what you have.
I need to be more deliberate about what I want. I make my resolve for what comes next. I throw Leomi a look full of promise that seems to turn her to stone for a brief moment. We get up and start shedding our clothes. Leomi is much slower because her eyes are fixed on my body.
“It'll be a goodbye gift for you, don't try to match it no matter how much you want to please us and just let yourself go.” I tell her. We fear what she could do with that kind of encouragement but that's part of the fun for us.
“Why?” Leomi asks with a tight voice, likely because her breath caught in her throat. Her traits twist, showing she is torn between greed and hesitation.
“It won't be one-sided.” I tell her. Her expression loosens a bit in relief, making me grin from how much she cares about my well-being no matter what she does out of impulse. “But you're going to be working hard and I was just reminded of what's on the line for you. I won't be handling the same kinds of stakes as you will for a while, likely never will, so I want the memory to support you until we reunite.”
“That sounds one-sided.” Leomi contests, pausing just before taking her red silk panties off.
“Trust me, I want to leave you eager to have me again so you need to end on top but you won't start there.” I explain.
“But, then it won't be a true win.” She protests.
“Yes, it'll make you want me more.” I agree.
She presses her lips together, likely doubtful that I'm giving her a gift, but it doesn't last long before her eyes return to devouring my bare flesh. I wink at her and step outside like I am to excite her.
The cold wind clashes with my body, giving me a sensation of dangerous freedom that Liz very much relishes. I do my best not to be hasty or sluggish as I make my way to the well and wrap the rope around my arm to pull a bucket of water up.
I then come back inside, finding Leomi standing there naked and panting as she waits for me. It takes a strong effort not to let my lust take over. Our vow of abstinence remains so this can be sexual but we can't go too far.
“I'm going to bend you over and fuck your anus until you can't handle it anymore.” I inform her with a calm but firm voice. “I won't be stopping you from lashing out or fight back if you do.” Liz speaks up to leave no doubt that we truly mean it.
Leomi turns rigid, even her lungs stop moving in spite of how short of breath she was. I deposit the bucket next to the table and step up to her. Her fingers are shaking but she doesn't try to stop me from following up on my words.
“If you push me that far, I won't have any restraint.” She warns me.
“You'll be completely free.” I agree.
“I might kill you, it isn't likely but the possibility exists, Jessica.” Leomi utters, terror seeping into her voice. I smile at how easily she could tell this is my idea.
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“It does. I don't believe you will.” I respond confidently.
I put one hand on her back and lead her to the table, bending her over on her face as I said. I can feel her trembling in fright for me and certainly excitement at what she'll be able to do to me once she fails to hold herself back.
I make her split her legs and can't help but throw a glance to her tight sex. The fact that she's moist with barely contained desire confirms my speculation as to the emotions roiling inside her.
I leave her like that to go grab a strap of clean cloth that I drip in the bucket's water. I start wiping her anus, feeling very odd about how calm and focused I am behaving. I have absolutely no doubt this could end in disaster but I don't hesitate to trust Leomi either.
She shakes with every stroke and every drop of water that trickles down the perfect slit of her womanhood but I keep lubricating her for what's to come. Once I'm satisfied, I put my major finger on the anus and apply some pressure, causing her to clench her butt-cheeks.
“Rh.” Leomi loudly clears her throat, evidently to conceal a growl of anger.
“Are you ashamed? Humiliated?” I ask, worried.
“It's not the act, not anymore... not really.” She replies with a raspy voice. “It's that I have to stay bent over.” Liz nods in understanding in my mind.
“I can't tie you up or this doesn't work.” I tell her, feeling a ghostly pang of pain because my left arm could fulfill the task of placating her. “I'm going to penetrate you now.”
I don't give her any time to prepare or further tighten up and immediately try to push my finger inside. Unfortunately, I encounter too much resistance so I immediately stop to spit on her anus.
“Jessica.” Leomi growls.
I ignore her to let more saliva drop on the tip of my finger. Just as I prepare to try again, I catch the golden jay land in front of Leomi's nose to rub its cute head against it in a gesture of comfort before flying away like its tail is on fire.
I smile and push, managing to drive my major finger in with some difficulty, making her body arc back. I pause half-way in and lean down to caress her spine with my left cheek. It takes her a while but she manages to lay face down on the table again.
Her teeth are grit together so I decide to merely massage her insides for a while. She loosens quite a bit and undulates along, surprising me. The fact that she can take this kind of raw act without needing to take me first to mollify her self-esteem makes me proud of her.
I start fucking her like I promised, adding saliva as needed until my finger can slide in and out without resistance. She suppresses her grunts for as long as she can but I can hear them grow louder as they threaten to escape her so I accelerate my back and forth.
“Uhm, uhm, uhm.” Leomi lets three short involuntary moans out, her evident pleasure startles me.
An intense tingle shakes my concentration, it becomes very hard to hold back my craving to ask that she seize my breast and powerfully mishandle it while firmly caressing me until she finally takes me.
I leave it to Liz to handle that side of me and focus on sodomizing my love until she can't handle it anymore. I no longer provide her with lubricating saliva and become more brutal in how I penetrate her with my major finger while clenching it once in a while to push against the wall of her vagina.
“Ughmm.” Her grunt turns into another moan. Her spine arcs again but she swiftly pushes herself back down. “I'm... huih!” She interrupts herself to gasp. “Going to climax!” She hurriedly warns me.
I immediately pull out, baffled. Of course she would with how on edge we've been keeping each other, silly me. Leomi grasps for air while shaking from head to toe. I quickly grab the wet cloth to wipe my finger and then push it in to clear her anus.
“No, huuuh. Bring me down!” She says, the rhythm of her tone becoming a complete mess.
I wonder how to do so but decide that there's one way that is sure to truly please her. I kneel and push her butt-cheeks apart with my hand. I lean in and carefully start licking the rim of her anus even though it makes me ashamed of myself.
Leomi shudders in contentment under my tongue and my shameful sentiments vanish because I realize that the act cannot be debasing if it is valued by the one I love. I put even more effort into satisfying her, disallowing restraint.
“You, don't have to.” Leomi whispers. “You, can stop.”
I ignore her because she's clearly still a mess. I insert my tongue inside to gently stroke all around. Like the outside, there isn't much of a taste other than her usual musk which comes from her sweaty skin.
I soon pull out because I can feel her flesh reacting again. I massage her from the outside before stopping to get back up and kiss her back while my major strokes her likely painful anus to finish accompanying her down the cliff she hung on.
It feels like I'm the luckiest woman alive because my lover held on for me in spite of her personality. Once she's caught her breath, she slowly rises back up and seizes either side of my head.
Leomi then pulls me in and steals my lips. She applies pressure on my jaw with her thumbs to force me to open wide. Confused, I look at her expression and find brazen gratitude. She uses her tongue to tease and lure mine into her mouth.
Once it's there, she sucks on it while locking eyes. Her gaze is intense, there is a hunger within that doesn't bode well for what's coming to me. She passed the first hurdle but, as she told me, there is a chance I won't survive her attempt to make it past the second one even if I know it is so tiny as to be insignificant.
Her hands trail down to my ass. I involuntarily stiffen from fright. It would be unsurprising of her to choose to ravage my anus, not to mention she wouldn't use a single finger to do so even if she doesn't find something thicker and use that to make me bleed. Yet, she merely grabs my buttocks and pulls away from my lips.
“Have no fear, I could never reject your gift.” Leomi murmurs.
Just as she pronounces my name, she lifts me up by using her grips and turns around to sit me down on the table. I throw her a quizzical and worried glance because I know she wants to hurt me.
“There is an art to making you completely relax.” She tells me, taking a lecturing tone. Before you decide to either take advantage of me or hurt me. I smile.
Leomi climbs on the table, placing her knees to either side of me. She then pushes me down on my back with her hands and kisses my nipple. I can't help but melt under the feeling of comfort she gives me.
She starts sucking my tit, causing a wave of gratification. Her teeth often brush against my hard bit, revealing that she's having trouble restraining herself from biting me. She surprisingly decides to return to teasing my breast with her lips.
Her left hand suddenly appears on my sex, immediately causing me to squirm from yearning. I attempt multiple times to push myself against her palm but she uses her weight to restrain my range of motion and her ability to read me like a book to pull away when needed.
“Huuum!” I whine in distress.
“I need to make you feel just enough pain and pleasure to overwhelm you so that you'll feel alive.” Leomi explains, yet doesn't do anything to give me either.
I almost fight because her toying is almost unbearable but Liz helps me push that instinct down. I catch Lance blinking in surprise from above as she keeps working on my breast to further ignite my thirst for her touch.
“You, don't want, more?” I ask in despair, my voice catching. “I'll, give it to you.”
“A complicated question.” Leomi says, straightening up. I kick myself for distracting her from pleasing me even though it barely scratched my itch. “I want so much more from you, but this is still perfect.”
She pulls her left hand away from my womanhood, once more almost making me react violently at the loss. The look in her eyes tells me that my state isn't escaping her. She places the wet palm, the one she used to make me dance under her, on my mouth to prevent me from speaking.
My cheeks turn crimson from having my own moist lust shoved in my face but my embarrassment only makes her gesture more exciting. Her knee soon replaces the hand between my thighs but that slight relief remains eminently insufficient because she never allows more than nuzzling.
“Mhmph.” I protest, demanding to be taken with my eyes. Don't restrain yourself.
Leomi writhes and her expression turns vicious in reaction to me but, as I expect her to let go, she grits her teeth and pauses. I voluntarily twist under her body to encourage her even though I know she's hanging on the edge of something very dangerous.
“I am doing exactly as I desire, my loves.” Leomi says, addressing us both.
Her read on us is flawless. She raises her right hand with her nails extended to slide them across my chest towards my right flank. She uses their sharpness to pressure the long scar I got during the fight inside Castle Lance, causing subtle agony because it's one of my most sensitive wounds, if not the most because of how it is linked to both Leomi and Celyz.
Yet, she also starts stroking my folds with her knee, causing me to experience the overdue euphoria that promises a future climax. The two opposing but equally intense sensations cause us to lose sight of ourselves, it awakens us, makes us feel alive.
I very quickly approach the ecstasy I thought was distant but she prevents it by stopping the torment she's inflicting on my old injury. I take some satisfaction in the fact she stopped too early, which means I still have some mystery for her.
My smugness doesn't last long because she moves to assault the scars on the left side of my chest, which aren't touchy in the same way. The pain from those comes from the fact that there is only a single layer of skin over my ribs so the slightest pressure suffices to make me curl my toes and make me climb up the peak.
“I will take full responsibility for breaking our vow of abstinence if you want me to service you.” Leomi suddenly tells me, leaving no mystery as to the fact she plans to use her tongue to end me.
In spite of the promise of mind-rending pleasure unlike anything I've ever felt before and the fact that refusing means she'll definitely abandon me on the edge without the courtesy I offered her, I shake my head to tell her no. My difficulty in doing so awakens her sadistic smile.
“You're so irresistible right now that it feels I'm the one being punished.” Leomi whispers in a tiny voice before moving off the table and abandoning me. Yet, we suffer.
“Krrrh!” I growl like an animal in distress.
I try to squeeze my thigh together for some slight relief but she blocks my knees. I pant and gasp, unable to think straight as my body demands that it be satisfied to the point where my lower-stomach twists in hollow pain. My face must have clued Leomi in because her expression stiffens.
I catch her kneeling down through my hazy eyesight. I then feel her lift my legs to put them on her shoulders as she leans in towards my sex. I tense as I feel her part my buttocks to drive a hard wet finger inside my anus.
It's beyond difficult but I use all my strength of will to focus on the strong pressure to distract myself from the pangs of hurt shaking the inside of my belly, the pain caused because I crave for her with all my being.
She stops penetrating me just before reaching the knuckle and retracts, which causes me to feel an acute sensation of relief that is quite pleasurable. Celyz could also skillfully make love to us in this way, gently but firmly. Hmm.
Leomi keeps sliding her finger in and out of me, long enough to not only cast away the state of agonizing torment she put me under but also grant me some gratification before slowly pulling out.
I then hear her wrench the cloth I used to wipe her, causing water to loudly splash back in the bucket. She uses it to clean me up before, surprisingly, leaning in-between my thighs.
I feel a wet and soft sensation circle my anus before dipping in to massage the rim, making me gasp and exhale in felicity. My mind belatedly catches up to the fact that she's using her tongue to gently land me from the trial she put me through.
She stops away after what seems to be mere tens of seconds but should have realistically been longer than a minute. I would rise to kiss her for stopping just at the right moment, before my mind skipped tracks for this kind of excitement, but I'm utterly spent.
“Thank you.” Leomi utters weakly.
She grabs the table and lifts herself up to staggeringly climb over me with tears trailing down her eyes. She lets herself drop atop of me, head on my chest with her mouth just in range for me to kiss. I do so in spite of my short breath to briefly suck her tongue in to ensure she is aware that I am grateful and doesn't feel shame.
The actions I took and chose not to weren't individually romantic but the overall situation I've crafted is significant to us. I've gifted her the opportunity to prove to herself that she loves being good to me more than harming me or avenging her wounded pride. It wouldn't have been possible for her to do this if she didn't consider us equals in the depths of her heart.
“Let's never do this again.” I tell her.
“It's too difficult to hold back.” She agrees.
It would have been easier to handle if she merely hurt me instead of giving me everything I want. So much for your attempt at giving without receiving. I'll tell on you. Go ahead, she knows I'm right.
“Liz is making fun of me because she realized that it's impossible for lovers to give without receiving before I did.” I complain to Lance.
“Yes, she did that to me too.” Leomi mutters, giving me a compassionate glance.
We lie as we are until her tears dry up. I use a strengthening construct to help us both up because Yvonne could return any minute. Leomi turns to her clothes but I stop her cold by merely reaching out to her cheek.
She throws me a questioning look that I don't answer. I pull her face closer and start licking the salty trails on her cheeks, savoring the taste even more because of the jealous expression that appears on her face.
“You could have at least cried.” Leomi complains.
“My eyes were wet.” I note, caressing her nose with mine to soothe her.
We each help each other dress up as an excuse to touch the body we so desire but that we have to part from. There is sadness to our parting caresses but also an eagerness to leave so that we can reunite.